Amusement device



Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,292

C. F. RAMAGE AMUSEMENT DEVICE '3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 N VEN TOR.

Charles FHam y B Y W TTORNEY' c; F. RAMAGE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filedjlaroh 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. w

A TTORNEY.

Nov. 29, 1927.

1,651,292 c. F. RAMAGE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 28. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Charles fi'fiamaye,

( ATIORNEY.

Patented Nov. 29,1927.

UNITED; Es

PATENT OFFICEQF CHARLES E. RAMAGE, OF LANGDON, NORTH DAKOTA. v

r U j AMUSE MEN'I DEVICE:

e A further object of the invention'is .to"

provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an amusement device of the motor driven vehicle type including means'to provide for the device to make, from an upright position during thetravelthereof, a complete somersault andflan'd in an upright position and continue on its journey, under such conditravel of the device. 1 r

1 Further objects of the device are to pro: vide,i;in aiinanner as hereinafter set forth an amusement deviceof the motor driven type, which is comparatively simple in its co lji struction and arrangement, strong, 'durable, conveniently; set to provide for the 'somersaulting thereof, amusingiwhen used, and. comparatively inexpensive to set up.

With the foregoingjand other objects in tions affording great amusement during the view the nvent on cons sts of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of pauses hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the inventiombut it is to be understood that changes, variationsand modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto'appended. i the, drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views: I

Figurellis a side elevation of an amuse ment device, in accordance with this in vention and in normally upright position.

- Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure '3- is a side elevation of the device with"the parts thereof ,'positioned to providefor'the" device turning complete 7 V somersault inupright position or rather normal upright position.

1s acvlew slmilar to Figure 3 with "Figure 4 {the parts-positionedrafter the device has turned the completesomersa ult and is assumen-upr f p t Qna 1 iia g ing members. a

wh eels of the vehicle. Carried the chassis "1 is a 'ture the form ofja frame of semicircular contour consisting of a pair of opposed sections of like construction, arranged'in spacedv secured to the bar 12;

well as arranged;:teretetwsea .iid

illustratingjthe rear axle and one ofithe eccentric tilting members for the device. F gure 6 .1s' a detail of members- Figure? is a fragmentary view illustratone of the release 1 the latching device for the eccentric tiltr V Refer'rlng to the drawing in detail .1 de

notes a chassis of a motor drivenvehi'cle,

2 the engine, 3 theclutch lever, 4 the steering post, 5, 6 the front wheels, 7 the-front axle, 8 the rear axle, 9 the vehicle springsand '10, '11 the rear wheels of the vehicle. The foregoing'elem'ents' are o-flmown construction. 7

The chassis can be tilted to the position shownin Figure 3 with respect to the front superstrucrelation and connected together at their 'up per'ends, The lower ends of the sections are connected to the sides and front'of the chassis. 7 As each section of'the superstruc ture isl of the same construction but onewill 1 be described as'the descriptionjof one ap plies to, theother. Each section consists of and which abuts against the ends of a side bar of thech'assisysee Figure 1, as wel-l'as 11 5, 16 are vertically disposed and the other brace membersare arranged at an inclination.

The brace members of one section of the: superstructure are arranged in alignment 'with respect-to the brace members. of the other "s'ection' of the superstructure and the brace members of one section at their upper ends are connected to the brace members of the other section, by the coupling bars 19.

The bars19 arefof angle shape in cross section. f f

Securedto the brace members 15', 16 as praise a semi-circular bar12 of appropriate height angle bars 13,14fi'11 1e1ends of the bar 12 v The brace members m the cage has floor boards. A tank for gasoline is indicated at 22 and is arranged with in the compartment formed by the cage and below the seat or chair 21. The cage includes front, side and top walls and the 15 bottom thereofis formed bv the floor boards.

The coim iartment formed by the cage is of sufficient size so that the driver can handle the steering column and clutch said brake levers as well as a latching device for the eccentric tilting members to be presently for the bar 28.

referred to.

Fixedly secured to the forward ends of the bars 12 is a rigid braking device 23, dis posed transversely with v respect to the chassis 1 andhaving each of its ends formed with a brake member, as indicated at 24 and which opposes a front wheel. hen the rear end of the chassis is tilted upwardly, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, the

brake members 2% are positionedunder the front wheels, engage the ground and forward travel of the vehicle. The rear faces of the brake members are of arcuate contour. H "Loosely mounted on the rear axle S, in proximity to each rear wheel, is a collar 25 i'ctained fromshiiting lengthwise with respect to the rear axle by a pair of spaced stop collars 26 secured to the rear axle by set screws 27. Secured to each collar 25 and bodily shiftable therewith and normally held in an elevated position is an eccentric tilting member consisting of convolute bar 28, having its upper end, as indicated at 29, partly enveloping the collar 25 and fixedly secured therewith bya holdfast device. Extended from the upper end 29 of the bar 28, a series of; inclined, spaced spokes 31 providing bracing means The outer face ofthe bar 28 throughout, is provided with spaced tread members One of the spokes 31 is positioned at the lower end of the bar 28, and the other spokes 31 are arranged between the ends of the bar and in spaced relation. The spokes 31 are of different lengths with respect to each other. The tilting members are connected together by a coupling bar 38, which is disposed transversely with respect to the chassis 1 and has the ends thereof connected to the inner faces of the bars 28 intermediate the ends thereof.

The coupling bar 33 form an element of a latching device, for maintaining the eccentric tilting members in an elevated position and clear of the ground, when the rear wheels of the vehicle are travelling from the ground. The latching device includes a resilient latching member 34 which depends from a ehassiscross bar, indicated at 35. The latchingmember 34c isadapted to on gage under the coupling bar 33, as shown in Figure 7 for the purpose of maintaining the eccentric tilting members in an elevated position. The latching member 34 is formed with anz'mgular extension 36 at its upper end. which is secured to the chassis cross bar by theholdfast device 37. The latching member 34; is furthermore formed at its lower end with a forwardly directed aperiured lug S8, to which is attached a pull rod 239. having its forward and loosely connect-ed as at 40. to the lower end of a shifting lever ll, which is pivoted as at 42,to a chassis cross bar 43. The lever 41 extends up into the coi'npartu' ent formed by the cage 20 and within convenient reach of the operator or driver. ll hen the upper end of the lever 41 is pulled rearwardly, thelatching member S t, is moved from engagen'ient with the con phng bar 3;}, and the eccentric tilting members will then fall by gravity to the ground and provide for the upwardtilt of the rear end of the device, in a manner as shown in Figure 3. l i y it livotally connected to a hanger 14, which is :ured to the front axle 7, by the holdfast device 41 .5 is a release member 46.; Two release members are provided, aswell as two hangers, and each release member is positioned in proximity to a front wheel. Each release member projectsforwardly from the hanger l t, as well as extending rearwardly therefrom and that part of the release member 16 which extends rearwardly fromthe hanger 44 is of greater length than the portion which projects forwardly from said hanger. The pivot between the release member and the hanger is indicated at47. i The rear terminal portion of the release member is bevelled as indicated at 48. Each release member is spring controlled audits controlling spring is indicated at L). The controlling springs 4-9 are connected to the superstructure. in proximity to thebrace members 18, that is in proximity to the upper ends of said brace members 18 as indicated at 50. The lower end of each of the springs 4l-9 is extended as at 51, and attached to an eye 52 carried by the forward end of a release inember 46. Vhen it is desired to havethe vehicle turn a complete somersault, the vehicle is driven at a fair rateof speed, fora required distance, then the driver releases the eccentric tilting members from the position shown in Figure 1. The tilting members then fall to the ground and as the machine travels forward, the tilting members elevate the rear end of the vehicle causingthereby the rigid brake,at the front thereof, to contion, one of which is that it provides tact with the ground, whereby the vehicle is caused to make a complete somersault and land in an upright position and with the tilt-' ing members, when the vehicle lands, shifted so as to be extended in an elevated position.

The superstructure serves a double funcof such action the release members are positioned as shown in Figure 4.

It is thought the many advantages of an amusement device, in accordance with this invention can be readily understood, andalthough the preferred embodiment of the invention is. as illustrated and described, yet it .is to be understood that changes in the details of construction can be had whichwill fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. v

What I claim is:

1 'An attachment for motor driven vehicles to provide for a complete somersault thereof during its travel, normally latched eccentric tilting members adapted to be loosely connected to the rear of thevehicle and further adapted when released to tilt the rear end of the vehicle during the travel thereof, a rigid brake secured to the front of the vehicle forward of the front wheels thereof and adapted to contact with the ground when the rear end of the vehicle is tilted by said elements, and a superstructure thereof during'its travel, normally latched eccentric tilting members adapted to be loosely connected :to the rear of the vehicle and further adapted when released to tilt the rear end of the vehicle during the travel thereof, a rigid brake secured to the front of the vehicle forward of the front wheels thereof and adapted to contact with the ground when the rear end of the vehicle is tilted by said elements, a superstructure of semi-circular contour adapted to be secured to the vehicle and providing arolling action for the latter during the somersault, and rearwardly extending spring controlled, pivhereto. 7

CHARLES F. RAMAGE.

' oted release elements adapted to be connected to the forward portion of'the vehicle and acting to absorb shock, on the righting of; v the vehicle at, the end of the somersault,

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature 

